Apparatus for bending accordion pleated strips



March 25, 1969 H. J. HOCHFELD 3,434,400

APPARATUS FOR BENDING ACCORDION PLEATED STRIPS Filed May 11, 1967 Sheet of 4 R H I a Q U 8 s 9 INVENTOR Q HENRY J HOCHFELD 8y March 25, 1969 H. .1. HOCHFELD 3,434,400

APPARATUS FOR BENDING ACCORDION PLEATED STRIPS Filed May 11, 1967 Sheet ,3 of 4 INVENTOR v HENRY J. HOCHFELD A 7'7'ORNEYS March 25, 1969 H. .1. HOCHFELD APPARATUS FOR BENDING ACCORDION PLEATED STRIPS Sheet Filed May 11, 1967 /NVENTOR HENRY J. HOCHFELD ATTORNEYS March 25, 1969 H. J. HOCHFELD 3,434,400

APPARATUS FOR BENDING ACCORDION PLEATED STRIPS Filed May 11. 196 Sheet 4 of 4 F/aa INVENTOR HENRY J. HOCHFELD MMMM ATTORNEYS United States ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for bending accordion pleated strips transverse to the pleats and forming gussets at the bent corners. Intermeshing serrated jaws clamp the accordion strips in pleated configuration. A hinged wing with flutes folds back a portion of the pleated strip extending beyond the clamped jaws against corresponding flutes in a side face thereof perpendicular to the intermeshing serrations and the foldline. V-notches in the wing at the ends of the flutes adjacent the foldline press out triangular corner gussets from between the pleats against a pyramidal lip defined by the intersection of the face flutes with the serrations.

Brief summary the invention This invention relates to an apparatus for bending sharp right angle corners in longitudinally pleated strips of pliable materials transverse to the axes of the pleats in order to form the lateral and bottom accordion sections of expandible file folders.

In the manufacture of expansible file folders and envelopes having relatively wide folding sections, the folding or accordion section is first developed by passing strips of pliable material, such as cloth or paper, of predetermined length through a pleating machine which incorporates the longitudinal folds therein. These sheets usually have already been prescored along lines transverse to the axes of the pleats in order to provid fine fold lines along which lateral or arm sections may be bent at right angles to the bottom section in generally U-Shaped configuration. The steps of bending the lateral sections up from the length of accordion section have been previously accomplished by hand. There was next the further step of manually forming triangular gusset portions at the corners, these also being bent back by hand so as to overlie the interior crest of the flutes in their folded disposition. Sharp formation of the triangular gusset portions is important to neatly position the excessive web flaps resulting from the right angle bend of the accordion flutes. However, the manipulation of the individual gussets by hand produces a time consuming and expensive operation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for automatically bending back the lateral sections of the accordion strips at right angles to the bottom section and simultaneously incorporating the triangular gusset portions or webs at the interior corners.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for bending pliable pleated material at sharp angles without requiring prescoring along transverse fold lines.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for bending strips of longitudinally pleated sections of pliable material wherein the corners will be automatically formed simultaneously in sharp and regular configuration.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of the character described, which is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient and effective in operation.

*atent O Description 0 figures With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, and partl broken away, of an accordion pleat bending apparatus embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, and greatly enlarged, of the clamping jaws and partially rotated with respect thereto, so as to facilitate visibility and comprehension. the folding jaws of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the clamping and folding jaws in partially folded disposition.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view, and partly in section, of the folding jaws in fully closed position.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 5. i

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of an accordion pleated envelope or file folder whose corner gussets are formed by the instant invention.

FIGURE 10 is a greatly enlarged view of the corner gussets of the portion encircled in FIGURE 9 and designated by the number 10 therein.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken along line 1212 of FIGURE 10.

Detailed description Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

the apparatus of the instant invention bends lengths of accordion pleated sections S from a strip form, as generally shown in FIGURE 1, into a U-shaped form, as shown generally in FIGURE 9, where it is cemented as the expansible element of a file folder or envelope F. The accordion section or bellows S, in its U-shaped configuration includes a central bight portion 2 with arms 4 and 6 oriented at right angles thereto. Valleys V or flutes in the arms 4 and 6 overlie and intersect with the inverted flutes V in the bight portion 2, as best shown in FIGURE 10. correspondingly, the apices or crests X in the pleated arms perpendicularly intersect with ridges X in the bight portion. Triangular gussets Y of bilateral configuration are formed at the corners intermediate the pleat apices X and overlie the inverted flutes V as pyramidal webs.

The present apparatus comprises a frame, generally designated as A, spaced pairs of clamping jaws B and C for supporting the accordion strips S in pleated configuration along longitudinally separated positions thereon corresponding to the length of the desired bight 2 of the U, and wing members B3 and C3 associated with the respective clamping jaws for folding the arms 4 and 6 of the U and simultaneously forming the triangular gussets Y at the corners.

The frame A essentially comprises a pair of channel or angle iron members 10 and 12 which are rigidly secured to each other by transverse members (not shown) so as to provide a bed for the remainder of the structure. A feed or delivery table 16 may be arranged at the right hand side of the frame A as shown in FIGURE 1, for dispensing lengths of the accordion pleated sections S through the apparatus and against a stop 18 adjustably mounted on an end table 20 at the left hand portion of the apparatus.

. Referring to FIGURE 1, the clamping jaws B comprise a lower jaw or base member B1 which is secured to the bed A, and an upper jaw B2 vertically reciprocable thereabove into engagement with the lower jaw. The clamping Jaws C also comprise a base jaw C1 and an upper jaw C2 vertically reciprocable with respect thereto. The base members B1 and C1 are mounted against the channel members and 12 in adjustably spaced apart disposition by suitable brackets.

Saw tooth serrations 22 in the central portion of the upper face of lower jaw B1 are arranged in crest-to-crest and furrow-to-furrow alignment with serrations 24 in the upper face of lower jaw C1. The pitch and face width of the serrations 22 and 24 are exactly complementary with that of the accordion pleated bellows S which have /16 inch face widths, for example. The angle between the faces of the serrations is preferably 60.

Upstanding from the lateral portions of the base or lower jaw member B1 are guide posts 26 and 28 which slidably support upper jaw member B2. A truss 30 interconnects the upper ends of the posts 26 and 28, and an air cylinder 32 is supported thereon. A vertically recirocable piston in the cylinder 32 has an actuating rod 34 which causes the upper jaw B2 to be slidably moved from open disposition at the upper portion of the stroke into seated engagement with the lower jaw B1.

The underface of the jaw B2 has a plurality of serrations 36, as shown in FIGURE 2, which are complementary with the serrations 22 in the lower jaw B1. A saw toothed tongue 40 is secured to the bottom of the clamping jaw B2 and within the serrations 36 thereof. The tongue 40 is preferably made of Inconel shim stock approximately .008 inch thick and has the same width as the upper and lower jaws. A plurality of flutes 42 are formed in the right hand vertical face of the upper jaw B2, as shown in FIGURES 1 through 7 inclusive, and perpendicularly intercept the serrations 36 in the bottom surface of said jaw. It is to be observed that the axes of the crests of the flutes 42 intersect the axes of the crests of serrations 36, and correspondingly the axes of the furrows of the flutes 42 intersect at right angles to serrations 36.

Referring to FIGURES 2 to 6 inclusive, it is to be observed that the tongue 40 forms a bottom wall or ledge 44 of inverted V-shaped configuration at the lower portion of each of the flutes 42 where the latter intersect the serrations 36. Each of these triangularly configured bilateral ledges 44 defines a pyramidal lip about which the corresponding fluted corner of the accordion pleats is rolled over in forming the triangular gussets Y during the bending operation. The leading edge 40a of the tongue 40 is flush with the front face of the jaw B2 and cooperates wtih a skirt 50 in the wing B3 to break a sharp scoreline in the accordion section S during the initial bending operation.

The wing B3 is pivotally supported on the bottom jaw B1 by a hange 46. The axis 48 of the hinge 46 passes through the downwardly facing crests XX, of the accordion pleats of the section S which is to be folded. A plurality of saw tooth corrugations 52 are formed in the wing member B3. When the wing B3 is horizontal the corrugations 52 are in alignment with the serrations 22 and 24 of the lower jaws B1 and C1. A plurality of V- shaped notches 54 are milled in the wing side wall which is immediately adjacent the jaw B1. The notches 54 have walls which are of an angle of 60 with each other. The apices of the notches 54 form lines which respectively intersect with the axes of the crests of the corrugations 52. The side walls of the notches 54 cooperate with the pyramidal lips 44 of the tongue 40 to press out the triangular gussets when the wing B3 is pivoted through 90.

A thin gauge corrugated skirt 50 having a saw tooth configuration complementary with the serrations 52 is slidably supported upon the wing B3. The skirt S0 is slid ably reciprocable on the wing serrations 52 from a position overlying the notches 54 and just beyond the crests thereof as shown in FIGURE 3 to a retracted position where the notches 54 are entirely exposed as shown in FIGURE 4. The reciprocable motion of the skirt S0 is produced by an actuating air cylinder 58 secured to the bottom of the wing B3. See FIGURE 5. Piston rod 60 is coupled to the distal end of the skirt 50 by a linking arm 62.

The purpose of the skirt 50 is to provide a sharp bend or break in the accordion pleated sections, the action being performed by the leading edge 50a of the skirt as the wing B3 pivots through approximately 15 from horizontal. After the wing B3 has pivoted beyond 15, the skirt 50 is retracted to expose the notches 54 where they can press out the triangular corner gussets of the accordion pleats as the wing B3 further rotates through 90 as shown in FIGURE 7. Automatic activation of the air cylinder piston 58 is produced by a 'microswitch 64 whose actuating finger abuts against and is triggered when the hinge 46 is pivoted through 15 from a 180 straight angle. The microswitch 64 energizes an air valve, not shown, and operates the piston in air cylinder 58 through lines 66 and 68. This actuation drives piston rod 60 to the rearfrom left to right as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The piston rod 66 stays extended and maintains the skirt 50 retracted, elevated in FIGURE 5, as the wing B3 is rotated fully into its 90 position.

Pivotal action of the wing B3 is also accomplished by an air cylinder 70 whose piston (not shown) is directly coupled to a rack 72 which intermeshes with spur gear 74. The shaft of spur gear 74 is directly affixed to and is rotatable with the element of hinge 76 secured to the right hand block of wing B3. Reciprocating motion of the piston of air cylinder 70 is accomplished by a hand valve which couples the air lines 78 of the cylinder 70 to a source of air under pressure so as to rotate wing B3 about its axes 48. The same valve 80 also operates the piston of air cylinder 71 through a corresponding rack and pinion coupling (not shown) to simultaneously perform the mirror image pivoting of wing element C3.

As has been previously set forth, the jaws B are horizontally fixed in position while the jaws C are longitudinally movable and adjustable thereto whereby the length of the bight of the U-shaped section S may be varied to suit the needs of a particular envelope or file folder F. Laterally spaced screws 82 and 84 are rotatably supported within bushings 86 secured to the bottom of fixed jaw B1. Internally threaded collars 88 mounted under the longitudinally adjustable jaws C1 threadedly engage the screws. Suitable hand crank or pulley arrangement at the ends of the adjusting screws 82 below end table 20 permit variation in the axial spacing of the jaws C with respect to jaws B.

Referring back to FIGURE 1, the clamping jaws C are identical to the jaws B previously described in detail except for the fact that the rotational direction of folding of the wing C3 is the mirror image of that of the wing B3. Guide posts 27 and 29 slidably support jaw C2, and the upper ends of the posts are coupled by transverse truss 31. Air actuating cylinder 33 has a piston rod 35 which is connected to jaw C2. The piston of actuating cylinder 33 is simultaneously operated with that of cylinder 32 by way of hand valve 90 which interconnects the airlines 92 and 94 to the source of air under pressure.

Jaws C2 has a plurality of serrations which have a shim stock corrugated tongue 41 attached therein in a manner identical to the saw tooth tongue 40 in jaw B2. The left hand edge of the tongue 41 extends to the crests of serrations 43 milled in the left hand vertical face of upper jaw C2 as shown in FIGURE 1. The edge of the tongue 41 which is not shown cooperates with the adjacent leading edge of skirt 57 to define, first a breaking means for incorporating a sharp bend or score for the corrugated accordion pleats. That is, when the skirt 57 is in forward position overlying notches 55 in wing C3, the edge adjacent the leading edge of tongue 41 is in line therewith and spaced therefrom by perhaps A inch. Thus, when the Wing C3 is folded upwardly by actuation of cylinder 71, accordion sections which is clamped is caused to break along line II.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, the apparatus is operated as follows. The clamping jaws B and C are adjustably spaced from each other by manipulation of the screws 82 and 84 so that the length of the bight 2 of the bent strip is determined. The stop 18 is arranged so that the bight 2 will be centered with respect to the arms 4 and 6. The apparatus will accommodate bight lengths from 4 inches to 18 inches and arms 4 and 6 up to 12 inches. Accordion sections S having up to twenty pleats can be handled.

The accordion strips are inserted through the open jaws B and C against the stop 18 with the pleats complementary with the serrations 22 and 24 in the base members B1 and C1 and in line with the corrugations of the wings B3 and C3. Hand valve 90 is actuated so that the jaws B2 and C2 are urged into clamping engagement with the base jaws B1 and C1 with the accordion section S sandwiched therebetween.

Hand valve 80 is next actuated whereby the wings B3 and C3 will hinge upwardly. The skirt 50 and 51 will be in forward position as shown in FIGURE 3 and will remain in forward position until the wing B3 and C3 have rotated through approximately of arc. The hinged action of the wings enables the leading edge 50a of the skirt 50 to cooperate with the leading edge of the tongue 40a and break the score line I-I. This could not otherwise be accomplished because of the saw tooth configuration of the flutes 42 and the V-shaped configuration of the notches 54. However, after the sharp score line has been made, the leading edge function of the skirts and tongues has been completed.

Next, as the wings B3 and C3 rotate beyond 15, the microswitch 64 is automatically actuated and triggers the air cylinders 58 and 59. The skirts will be retracted and expose the notches 54 for abutment with the pleats in the accordion strip as shown in FIGURE 4. Therefore, a triangular bend will be initiated between the flutes. In FIGURE 8, the wings have rotated through 90 whereby the corrugations of the skirts are pressed against the face flutes 42 of jaw B2 with the arm 4 of the pleated strip S sandwiched therebetween. The triangular gusset Y is bent about the pyramidal ledge 44 to be pressed thereover in bilateral configuration. Hand valve 80 is released to permit the wings to return into straight line configuration, and hand valve 90 is released to open the clamps B and C.

The corner configuration of the U-shaped accordion strips S are formed substantially as shown in FIGURES 10, 11 and 12. The strips S are removed and cemented between side sheets to form expansible file folders F as shown in FIGURE 9.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for bending sections of accordion pleated strips transverse to the pleats and forming gussets at the bent corners comprising:

'(a) means constituting a pair of jaws with intermeshing serrations for clamping the accordion strips in pleated configuration, one of said jaws including a fluted end face whose flutes intersect the respective serrations along corresponding mutually perpendicular axes and a thin corrugated tongue in complementary registration with the said serrations thereof, said tongue terminating in a line substantially coextensive with the apices of the flutes to define pyramidal ledges therebetween,

(b) means constituting a fluted wing for engaging a pleated portion of said accordion strip overhanging immediately adjacent said means for clamping.

(0) means for moving said fluted Wing transverse to the longitudinal axes of said serrations and into intermeshing engagement against the fluted end face with the overhanging pleated portion therebetween, and

(d) means constituting a plurality of angular elements on said fluted wing adjacent said clamping means and cooperating with said corrugated tongue when said fluted wing moves through a predetermined angle for pressing out triangular pyramidal gussets between the pleats at the corners defined by the foldlines formed around the pyramidal ledges.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said serrations and said flutes comprise V-grooves.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fluted wing is rotatable about a fixed axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means constituting angular elements comprises V-notches on the ends of the flutes of said wing and the apices of said V-notches defining axes perpendicular to the respective axes of the crests of the wing flutes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said Wing is pivotally supported to the other of said jaws.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including a corrugated skirt slidably seated within said wing flutes, said skirt having a leading edge overlying said V-notches as said wing is pivoted through a predetermined angle whereby a sharp scored line is formed in said accordion strip at the transverse axis, and means for retracting, said skirt and exposing said V-notches after said wing has pivoted beyond said predetermined angle thereby allowing said V-notches to engage against said pyramidal ledges when said wing has pivoted through 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprises pairs of longitudinally spaced jaws for gripping a central portion of said accordion strips with ends symmetrically overhanging the respective jaws, and

said (b) means comprises a wing hinged to each of said clamping means and rotatable in opposite directions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said clamping jaws includes a base member with serrations in registration and a reciprocable jaw actuated into intermeshing engagement with the corresponding base memher.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 including means for longitudinally adjusting said clamping jaws with respect to each other for varying the length of the bight of the accordion sections when bent into U-shaped configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 including means to convey the accordion strips through the open clamping jaws against an adjustable stop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 561,814 6/ 1896 Remus 9'3-84 X 2,647,785 8/ 1953 Casnati 93-84 X 2,890,044 6/1959 Wisdom 93-84 X 2,901,951 9/ 1959 Hochfeld 93-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 274,864 4/ 1 Switzerland.

WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 72-459; 93-1; 269-266, 270 

